Dan and Runo's LegendProphecy
by Breezyfeather
Summary: Okay, so this one takes place after/ durring episode 27 or New vestroia. Let's just say that they have to destroy the BT system and all that. Except, this time they have their own way of doing it. WITH THEIR NEW POWERS! Sequel to a New and Interesting Adventure *DISCONTINUED*
1. Training and Surprises

Okay. So, a New and Interesting Adventure is done. Now, I can work on this one. I think I'll call it... Dan and Runo's Legend. So, waddaya think of that? Argh. Stupid spell check. Okay, so on with the intro!

"So, this is the new story, huh," Runo asks, leaning over Breezyfeather's shoulder to look at the screen. She nods. (Okay, I started the fan-fiction before as Silverwing, and then I found that the name was already taken, and I forgot to go back and change it, so Silverwing is the same-sadistic- person as Breezyfeather) "Is it the sequel to the other one?"

"Yup. You and Dan are the main characters again, and then the others are all sub characters," she explained.

"You seem much more mellow today. What did you do, take anger management classes or something," Dan asked.

"No. I just happen to be in a good mood," Breezyfeather says.

"Okay then," Shun says. "No more chaining me to the ceiling! You did that often enough in the last story!"

"Okay, Shun. I'll just chain you to... hm... who does he hate the most?"

"Lync. And Gus. And maybe Volt. Ooh, chain him to Komba!"

"On it," Breezyfeather says, grabbing a pair of shackles.

"Seriously, why are you always picking on him, Breezyfeather," Lync asks, watching as Shun dodges one of the sharpened stick traps and Breezyfeather's shackles.

"Because he's fun to antagonize... I think," Breezyfeather says. "Or at least, that's what my sister tells me whenever she drives me crazy."

"You have a sister- oh right, the one that is always bugging you to play that stupid video game, right," Dan asks.

"Yeah. Okay, before you people get too involved in my personal life, here's some of the sequel! By the way, it takes place right before Mira and the others show up on Earth in episode 27. If you are not familiar with that, I suggest you look it up. Not trying to sound mean, but still."

"Okay, try to shoot the target," Marucho said. Dan pointed the staff at the target, which was about three hundred yards away, and squinted at the screen that popped up over the tip of the staff. He adjusted his aim just a little, and then braced himself.

"Pyrus Flame," he shouted. A line of fire shot out of the tip of the staff, followed by a huge rush of flames. It made the target incinerate immediately and then the net behind it caught fire again. The firefighters quickly controlled the blaze. Julie roller bladed in with a tray and set it down on a table.

"Lunch, guys," she said with a wink, blading away. Dan dove for the hot dog on the tray( Tee hee) and wolfed it down. Runo sighed.

"Must you make you make so much noise when you eat," she asked. Dan grinned, grabbing the glass of soda.

"Okay, Runo, your turn," Marucho said. Runo flicked her tail and pointed her baton at her target.

"Dawn Star, Light Breaker," she shouted. Several blades of light shot out of the baton and her free hand toward the target, slashing it to smithereens. Marucho and the others gaped while Dan blinked.

"That's a new one," he commented.

"That's your only comment? You can be such an idiot sometimes," Shun said. Dan shot him a glare and pointed the staff at him. Shun didn't seem fazed and jumped toward him. "You can't use that thing for close combat," he said.

"Watch me," Dan replied, smacking Shun's head with it. He groaned in pain and spread his wings, jumping into the air. Runo sighed. Then, the Pyrus emblem on the staff compacted to a diamond somehow and a blade shot out of the tip, curving to the right. Runo gasped as the staff shorted so that it was the size of her baton. He stopped attacking Shun, who flew away, and landed next to Runo.

"Well, that's interesting," he said, surveying the weapon and turning it over in his hands.

"You can now do close combat and I can now do long range combat. That's cool," she exclaimed. She held up her baton and the ring around the Haos symbol vanished. The Haos symbol's points sharpened and became like mini swords, attached to the little shape in the middle. She grinned and it sparkled. Dan jumped into the air and she spun around with it, causing a circle of golden light to spark to life around her. She laughed as she spun, making sparkles appear in the air around her. Then, she stopped but the circle of light around her kept spinning. She lifted her baton and the light formed a cone up to it, making all of the others shield their eyes. The sparkles' glow intensified, making them all turn away, still shielding their eyes.

The cone vanished into the baton and she swung it around, pointing at the target. "Shooting Haos," she shouted. The glow on the baton grew to a point that would blind a normal human, but Runo and Tigrerra both were able to withstand it. A thin line of light shot out of the baton. Despite its frail appearance, it delivered quite an effect on the target and all of the people in the room. The light was so intense that even Tigrerra had to close her eyes and turn away, shielding them with her hands. Only Runo could look at it without casualties. The target exploded and then caught fire, but the people on the sidelines couldn't put it out because they couldn't see the blaze. Runo held up a hand and the light was sucked in, letting everyone to see again.

The firefighters sprang into action and the blaze was out in seconds, no damage done to the walls or the floor because they were outside. "That was impressive, Runo," someone said. They all whirled around and Marucho's face lit up.

"Mira," Dan shouted.

"Hey stranger. Miss me?" she asked.

"How did you get here," Shun asked, landing near her.

"Alice's grandfather opened the gate and called Kato to come and pick me up," Mira explained. "I asked first that he keep it a secret so that I could surprise all of you! Oh, by the way, Alice is here, too!"

"No way! Alice," Runo cried as Alice came up behind Mira. He dropped her baton to give her friend from Russia a hug. Julie joined in, and then Mira was also being hugged by the three girl, who were giggling.

"It's been a while, Mira, Alice," Dan said, walking over. Mira grinned at him and the two shook hands. After the reunion, Kato called Marucho and told him that he was waiting with a surprise in the ballroom. Marucho led them there where they were greeted by a huge feast.

"This is in honor of Mira's visit, sir," Kato said. "Since she is such a good friend of yours, I decided to surprise you with this little party."

"Thank you very much, Kato," Marucho said with a grin.

"You're welcome, Master Marucho," Kato replied with a smile and bow.

"Well, in honor of Mira's visit, I formally propose a toast," Marucho said, picking up a glass of orange soda and lifting it. The others grabbed glasses, too, and also lifted them.

"To friendship," they all said(yes, I know that I am including parts of the actual episode, so, just to be safe, I do not own Bakugan or it's characters in any way. The only character that I made up is Jenny, the violent one who is currently residing with Klaus on Vestal).

When the Banquet was finished, Marucho led Mira to the room that she would be staying in for the time being. They all then joined each other in the room with the giant TV screen.

"So tell us Mira, why the sudden visit to Earth. And how did you get here in the first place," Shun asked.

"Do you know what happened after we ditched the Vexos in outer space," Runo asked.

"Sorry, I don't know about that part. But I can explain about what happened right after we returned to Vestal," Mira said. She explained and a few minutes later, Dan was biting his lip and Alice and Julie were glancing at each other worriedly.

"So we're gonna get called in again, huh," Dan said finally.

"It looks that way. But, like I said before, you won't be alone," Mira told him. "We're still the Bakugan Battle Brawlers Resistance, and the Bakugan Battle Brawlers. We're a team, and we won't just let you and Runo go it alone."

"Thanks, Mira," Dan murmured with a grin. Runo smiled, too.

"Those Vexos are going down," she said. Then, Drago's diamond began to glow through his shirt.

"What's happening," he gasped. Wilda felt the burning sensation next and gasped. Next, Elfin and then Ingram.

"Guys, what's going on," Tigrerra asked, clutching her stomach as her diamond began to glow. Dan, Runo, and Shun all grimaced and fell to the floor with identical groans, as did Mira and Marucho.

They all found themselves in the center of a foggy place, which Dan, Runo, and Shun all immediately recognized.

"Are we in the center of New Vestroia," Dan asked.

"Yes, Dan," Masquerade said, walking forward through the mist.

"Masquerade! Hey, it's been awhile," Dan exclaimed. Masquerade looked grim and then the Six Ancients appeared behind him. Quickly, they explained that they had been defeated in battle by Kind Zenoheld. Mira and the others gasped, then noticed Barron and Ace standing a few feet away.

"Barron! Ace," Marucho said.

Then, the Six Ancients released a ray of light each, Apollonier's and Lars Lion's splitting in half and shooting toward Dan and Runo. They gasped in pain and then began to flash red and yellow. Then, cocoons formed around their bodies. The others gasped at them. New clothes appeared on both kids and then the cocoons broke, releasing them. Runo wore a white skirt that had armor curving up to her chest and another belly shirt with armor on the shoulders. On one shoulder the armor curved up and on the other it curved down. Her boots had wings made of light on them and her pigtails had a swirl of light curling around them.

On her head she had a golden tiara similar to Azula's from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Her belly hisrt was made of metal to give her the best protection in battle, and she also had a forearm guard on her right forearm.

Dan wore an outfit similar to Lync's, but red. The armor on his shoulders simply curved down, a cape secured by them. Below his neck was a metal attachment similar to the one that Mylene wore. His shoes were now made of metal and there were metal plates covering his knees. All around him, black ribbon like strands wove around, like around his arms and chest, as well as his legs. On his right forearm, a metal guard was gleaming. The two looked at themselves in shock, then turned their attention to Nemus, Percival, Elfin, Ingram, Drago, and Wilda. All of them had evolved!

"Whoa," Barron exclaimed.

"Remember brawlers, only you stand a chance against Zenoheld and the BT system," Exedra said.

"We're counting on you," Lars Lion whispered as the Ancients all disappeared into the fog. Masquerade remained.

"Dan," someone shouted. Dan gasped and his eyes opened.

"Oh man, it feels like I got hit by a truck," Dan muttered, sitting up. Runo whimpered sitting up also. Dan caught sight of her and gasped then looked down at himself. The outfits remained. He shot to his feet, catching sight of Marucho, Shun, and Mira all waking up around.

"That wasn't a dream," Runo exclaimed, looking up at Julie and Alice, who both looked startled as Masquerade's sudden appearance.

"Right. Just look at how we've changed," Drago said, popping out of his ball. Their eyes widened and then Tigrerra popped out of her ball, revealing a shape similar to a tiger, but now she had blades sticking up on her shoulders and her tail was a spiked ball on the tip. Wilda, Elfin and Ingram all popped out of their balls, too, revealing their evolved selves. Their eyes widened further and Dan turned.

"Some freaks never get the message. Looks like we're gonna be going out to fight sometime soon," Dan declared.

"Time to fight, huh? So I guess that means more training sessions, huh, Dan," Runo asked with a grin.

"You got that right, Runo. That goes for us as well as the rest of you. Marucho, do you think that you can organize training sessions," Dan asked.

"I think so, Dan. But, this is going to get risky. The Vexos already know our location because they transported themselves here before. They will just retrace their tracks from before," he said, pushing his glassed up his nose.

"Oh, I know how to erase their tracks," Alice spoke up. "But, I need special technology that Grandfather only has back at the lab. I'm not sure if you have it, so I'll be right back." Masquerade handed her the card and she vanished.

"Okay gang. Hopefully, after she comes back with the materials, we can cloak ourselves. Maybe I'll even be able to finish Bakugan Interspace," he whispered excitedly.

"What's that," Chan asked, coming around the corner.

"Nothing," Marucho said quickly.

"Julie, Shun, how about you guys go practice with the others for now? Marucho, you might wanna leave, too, because Runo and I are gonna try using some majorly destructive abilities," Dan said. "Tigrerra, Drago, you guys can stay. Besides, I wanna talk to you." They nodded while the others exchanged glances and shrugged, leaving.

"Okay guys. It looks like we're gonna be called out soon," Dan said. "We have to practice wide range attacks and shields. All of us."

"Okay," Runo replied, not caring for a moment that Dan was ordering her around.

"Hey, Runo, we're gonna fight our hardest, right," he asked, taking her hands. "We have to. We have to protect Earth, Vestroia, and Vestal. That's the prophecy, right?"

"Yes," she responded, blushing slightly.

"Alright then Runo, put up your long distance shield and go over by the helipad. I'll aim for you using the Pyrus Maneuver," Dan told her. "You have to maintain the shield over time. Tigrerra, can you help her out a little?"

"Of course," she said, changing into a semi-human. She gasped when she realized that now, what looked like blades coming from her shoulders were actually blade-shaped _wings_. She grinned and jumped up. They lifted her easily and she laughed. Runo smiled and jumped up after picking up her baton. The wings on her shoes enabled her to shoot upward quickly, joining Tigrerra above the helipad. She pointed her baton toward Dan and a bright shield appeared. It was slightly see through, enough so that Runo could see Dan point his staff at her. The shield was circular in shape and about twelve feet in diameter.

"Pyrus Flame, Burning Dragon," Dan and Drago shouted.

"Haos Protection," Runo and Tigrerra both shouted. The attack slammed into the shield with a loud clang, making Runo and Tigrerra gasped. Runo held the baton so tight that her knuckles were white and sweat was breaking out on her face from keeping the shield up.

"Valkyrie Barrier," Tigrerra shouted, lifting her hands, but it didn't do any good.

"Ventus Gale," Shun shouted, appearing behind them. Run gasped and let the shield down, dodging Shun's attack. Tigrerra shot up while she dove down, landing on the helipad. She pointed her staff at his grinning face.

"Dawn Star Light Breaker," Runo shouted. The small blades shot toward Shun, who had difficulty avoiding them to say the least. She smirked and took off toward him while Tigrerra dropped on him from behind. "Haos Flare Blinder," she shouted, pointing at his eyes. He yelled and covered his eyes with his hands while an insane light grew from the baton. Dan and Drago below were forced to shield their eyes also while Runo let the ball of light float there. She used the opportunity to fly away and dive into one of Marucho's open windows. Then, she held up a hand and the light returned to her. Tigrerra smiled at her and the two dashed to the door, yanked it open, and became face to face with a smirking Lync.

Runo screamed in shock, then pointed her weapon at him. Tigrerra growled and he smirked wider. Spectra and Gus stepped out from behind him and Runo did a double take. All of the Vexos were in the room with her! "Oh, shoot, dang it," Runo muttered, turning in a circle with the baton held in her hands. The two Baku-humans stood back to back in the center of a circle made of the Vexos. Runo bit her lip. This was by no means good.

And a cliffhanger. Evil me. Tee hee! No, BWAHAHAHAHA!

"Nice one, Breezyfeather," Mira praises. "I must admit that I like that chapter better than the first in the other story. Although both of them end in cliffhangers."

"That's so that people will want to read more. Plus, I kinda have to go to sleep now," Breezyfeather yawns.

"CAN YOU GIVE US ANY DARN DETAILS ABOUT THIS," Shun shouts.

"No, for the last time, you ninja moron," Breezyfeather yells back. Runo points her staff at him. He shuts up.

"Thank you. Now, if you'll give me a minute, I have to post this thing," Breezyfeather says. She scrolls down a page with her touch pad. "Oh yeah, you guys can go now," she says, pointing at the door which unlocks. Everyone rushes toward it, but then Dan and Shun are caught in chains again.

"Hey, I said no chaining me to the ceiling," Shun yells.

"Yeah, well I'm not chaining to you the ceiling! I'm chaining Dan to the ceiling. I'm chaining you to my wrist."

"Aw, come on! Why are you my eternal punishment? What did I do wrong?"


	2. Escape sorta and sickness

And now for chapter 2! more Shun torture in the beginning! What more is there? BWAHAHAHAHA. Oh, I forgot to say in the first chapter, but this story is dedicated to a friend of mine named Diane because it is my B-Day gift to her. Happy B-Day, Deedee-chan!

"For the last time, let. Me. Out. Of. This. Mental. Facility," Shun shouts. Breezyfeather takes the chain from her wrist and attaches it to the wall with a padlock. Shun pulls against it before she attaches it and manages to escape. Breezyfeather doesn't seem fazed.

"I think that you need to give him a break, Breezyfeather," Katie says, leaning on the wall with a soda. "You're always giving the ninja a tough time. Why is that?"

"Because it's funny. And besides, I have fun writing about him trying to escape my wrath," Breezyfeather says. "And a bunch of other people I know of pick on Shun. I don't feel like writing a list, so you're just gonna have to figure out who they are. Okay. I am running out of ideas for this intro, and I really wanna get writing the chapter, so this concludes the intro. Oh wait. SHUN GET DOWN HERE!"

"NEVER," he shouts back.

"Move your butt," Breezyfeather cries, throwing sharpened sticks at him. Julie sighs and presses a button. The recording room where they were shouting at each other doors swing shut and Julie grins.

"On with the story," she says. 

Runo bit her lip as she turned, Tigrerra standing at her back. She held her baton out in front of her, making the Vexos decide to keep their distance from the sharp point of the Haos symbol. Runo glared at them and sent a telepathic message through her link with the others from the Perfect Core.

"_Dan, Shun, I need help. The Vexos are here and they've got Tigrerra and me cornered._"

"_Where are you_," came Dan's reply a second later.

"_We came inside through an open window on the other side of the building . Keep an eye out for a really bright light. Put on your sunglasses, Dan_," she said, getting an idea.

"_Gotcha_," Shun, Dan, and Drago said.

"Well, Runo, you seem to have gotten a little more courage in the past six months," Lync said. Runo flashed him a glare and raised her baton.

"What do you think that you're going to do," Mylene asked with a smirk. Runo smirked back.

"Sparkling Haos," she shouted, the Haos symbol producing many sparkles like the Haos Shooter. The light grew until Lync and the others were turning away in pain, facing the wall with their eyes covered.

"Runo," Dan shouted.

"Dan," she yelled.

"Turn that off," he urged.

"Can't, or they'll get us," she cried, pointing it at the door. "Use some Darkus power, since we're linked to the Perfect Core. That lets us use abilities from other attributes, right?"

"Yeah! Darklight," Shun yelled. He, Dan, Drago and Ingram flew in through the window one by one and Runo help up one hand. Dan grabbed her wrist while she jumped up. Shun glared down at Lync and pulled the door shut, straining to hear the lock click since it was hard to with the Vexos moaning.

"Hey, don't let them get away," Gus shouted, hearing Tigrerra walk over to the window. She gasped and jumped out, her wings catching the air and making her float below the window. She kicked back against the wall and shot out, away from the window.

"Runo," Dan shouted, pulling toward the window. Drago and Ingram were floating outside the window and Runo jumped out with Dan holding her hand. With the light out of the room, the Vexos were able to uncover their eyes and see Runo escaping.

"Grab her, Mylene," Shadow yelled, jumping toward the window. Runo and Dan gasped, Dan pulling her upward. Shun covered her from below, then quickly jumped out of the way of a rope that swung at his foot. In his absence, they managed to snag Runo's ankle. She yelped as she was yanked downward, a searing pain in her ankle making her wince, but the wings on her shoes pushed her up, making the pain worse. Dan gasped and grabbed her wrists again, glaring down at Spectra and Volt, who were holding onto the rope.

"Let her go," Shun shouted, flying over to the window.

"Do you think that we're honestly going to let her go now? We've got her in the perfect position," Gus said. Runo and Dan let out gasps and Tigrerra growled. Blades shot out of her wrists and she slashed at the rope, severing it. Volt and Spectra tumbled backward, startled, while Mylene tossed a grenade at Shun, who dodged. It descended five feet from his feet and then a black and purple portal appeared from it. Shun and the others gasped when his foot was caught it in.

"Shun," Dan and Ingram shouted.

"Shun," Runo yelled, diving down to him. He threw a hand up and she grabbed it, then Dan grabbed her around the waist. Together, they managed to pull Shun from the portal. He panted a "Thank you," and Runo turned to the Vexos, growling.

"You are going to pay for this," she said slowly and dangerously. Spectra and Lync smirked, making Runo do a double take. Then, something exploded behind them. Runo screamed and Drago gasped.

"Runo," Tigrerra shouted.

"Aiiee," she screamed, the force of the explosion sending her flying. She ended up doing a few somersaults before she caught herself. She turned to see Dan and Shun panting, a shield up between the two of them and the explosion. Something latched onto Runo's armor but she didn't notice. In seconds, the thing had dissolved into the metal and Lync grinned. When Runo turned around, the Vexos were gone. She blinked and surveyed the damage they had taken.

Shun was bleeding from a cut on his forehead and a few on his legs, Dan had a bloody nose and his left arm was hanging limp. His staff was grasped in his other hand and he was panting hard, a black eye already becoming visible. Runo looked herself over to find that her wrists had dark bruises from Dan's grabbing, her ankle was bleeding onto her boot, which seemed to be resisting the blood stains, and that her baton was still glowing. She made it stop with her mind and left a sharp pain in her shoulder. She shook it off and flew over to the others.

"Crystalline healing," she said, lifting her baton above her head. Dull sparkles compared to the others rained down on the two boys, but missed Runo entirely. She sighed, eyes closing. That last healing spell had zapped her completely of energy. Tigrerra quickly caught her and she smiled up at her, eyes squinting.

"Thank you, Tigrerra," she whispered before slipping into the depths of unconsciousness.

…...

She woke in the infirmary what felt like an instant later. The first thing she became aware of was the dull throbbing in her ankle. She blinked herself awake and sat up, immediately being assaulted by a searing pain in her right shoulder. She gasped in pain and let out a strangled moan.

"Runo," Dan cried, shooting to his feet. She glanced at him and continued to lean over, the pain in her shoulder making her nauseous. "Marucho! Get one of your doctors in here!"

"What's wrong," Marucho asked, dashing in. Runo didn't notice, too distracted by pain. She was trying not to scream, or even cry for that matter.

"I don't know! She just woke up and started moaning," Dan said.

"Take that armor off of her," Marucho instructed and Dan and Shun immediately moved to remove it. It took them a moment, because they had to unstrap it, but they got it off. Tears slid down Runo's cheeks, the pain now intensified. "I still don't know what's wrong! Can you remove her shirt?"

"What," Dan and Shun asked, their faces becoming beet red.

"Oh, move it," Julie said, pushing them out of the way. "If you're so scared of becoming perverts, then get out of the room. Alice, Katie and I will deal with this."

"No, I'm not leaving," Dan said stubbornly.

"You're leaving," Julie and Runo said at the same time, although Runo's was more like a teeth clenched order with the hint of a growl. Katie and Alice nodded and Dan reluctantly walked out, followed swiftly by Shun.

Julie heard Shun call Dan a pervert and then the door slid shut. They could still hear Dan yelling though, but,surprisingly, that didn't make Runo laugh.

"Runo, what's wrong," Alice asked, sitting down beside her. Runo shook her head.

"Shoulder... hurts... so bad," she grunted. Alice reached behind her and undid the buttons on the back of her shirt, which were hidden before by the armor. She slid it off of her shoulders and gasped.

"What's up," Katie asked, walking over. Then, she too gasped at the sight of Runo's back.

"What?" Julie started to walk over, but Katie held up a hand.

"You're still squeamish right," Katie asked and Julie nodded, biting her lip. "Then don't come over here."

The skin above Runo's shoulder blade was bright red and seemed to get redder the closer it got to the bone itself. There was a large bump about the size of a small golf ball right at the center of the bone, which was dark red. In the center of that was a black dot that glowed white.

"What is this," Alice asked.

"I don't know," Katie responded, looking around for any clues. Her eyes rested on the armor. "Hey, bring that over here, will ya?"

"Sure," Julie said, reaching for the armor and handing it to Katie. She scanned the outside of it and didn't find any visible blemishes, but on the inside she saw it. Right where Runo's shoulder blade would be if she were wearing it was a little hole about the size of the bump. She gasped and dropped it, making Runo jump.

"What the heck happened to that," Alice asked.

"I think that the more operative question would be, "is this going to be fatal or seriously injuring"," someone said. The three non-injured girls all turned toward the voice and gasped.

"Mylene," Katie breathed angrily.

"Yeah, obviously. Like there are any other female Vexos," she said sarcastically, walking toward them. Alice and Julie stood, protectively, in front of Runo, who whimpered in pain. She was facing the other way from Mylene, so she was not aware of the Vexos' presence.

"What did you do to Runo," Julie demanded. Mylene smirked. "What did you do!"

"Me? I did nothing. Lync did the dirty work."

"What is wrong with her," Alice shouted. Mylene closed her eyes with a cocky grin.

"We released a parasite that would suck up any Bakugan related energy that resides in her. Or at least, that's the idea. We figured that she might have received part of the Haos Attribute Energy, and she already has some Haos power to begin with, thanks to the Perfect Core." Gasps resounded throughout the room.

"What do we have to do to save her," Katie asked finally. Mylene smirked.

"I was wondering when you would ask that. Bring me Mira and maybe I'll give you the antidote."

"Mira?" Katie asked.

"What for?" Julie asked. Runo blinked and came out of her pain induced daze.

"Don't! She'll make Mira surrender the Sub-Terra Attribute Energy!"

"Stay quiet, Runo," Mylene snapped. "And it won't hurt so much."

"Yeah right," Runo countered around her gritted teeth. "The only way it won't hurt so much is if Mira comes. I'm not gonna let her! Alice, go, get outta here! Find Mira," she whispered. Alice nodded and held up the card. She vanished right then and Dan burst into the room. He scanned it and found Mylene staring at him with a smug expression on her face. Julie glared at him and he glanced at Runo. Both teenagers' faces turned red and Runo bit her lip to keep from moaning again.

"Mylene! What are you doing here?" Dan demanded. She glared at him.

"Me? I'm just here to deliver the message. Me, because there are no other female Vexos and I _thought_ that it might be _polite_ at least to let a _girl_ go to check up on the _girl_ that happens _to not be wearing a shirt_," she spat. Dan glared at her, the red on his face intensifying.

"Since when do you care about being polite," Shun asked, coming up behind Dan. He glanced at Runo, who glared at him, and then turned his attention back to Mylene. Dan held up his weapon while Runo shrugged her shirt back on, wincing and choking back a whimper. She then held up her baton rather shakily, unable to stabilize her arm. Mylene glared at her and Dan, then Shun who held up his hands in a fighting position.

"Ha. I've named my terms. Other than them, there is no way to relieve the pain. You know how to contact us when you've reconsidered. You have three days before the parasite starts to cause her internal organs to malfunction. I suggest you comply," she told them with a sly grin. Then, she lifted one hand above her head and vanished. Julie and Katie exchanged shocked looks while Runo gasped again in pain, letting her arm fall.

"Why do these idiots always go after the girl," she whispered, falling back against the pillow and loosing consciousness.

"Yeah, why are they always going after Runo," Shun asked, glancing at Dan, who was glaring at the place where Mylene had vanished. Julie and Katie exchanged glances.

"I wonder... Maybe it has to do with the fact that she has the most pure of the six Bakguan attributes," Julie said, one finger on her lip and looking at the ceiling. "But wouldn't that make it harder to hurt her?"

"No. she cares a lot for Dan and the rest of us. Dan and her are dating and she's friends with all of us. Plus, she holds part of the Perfect Core and the Haos attribute," Shun said. "Haos is a pretty powerful attribute, and the fact that she hold as much power as you and Drago makes her a pretty good target."

"The thing that Lync planted on her... that sucks up the attribute energy," Katie whispered.

"What," Mira shouted, bursting into the room. She dashed over to Runo's side and felt her head. She yanked her hand away a second later, cradling her hand. "Her forehead is so hot," she muttered, waving her hand. "That thing sucks up attribute energies?"

"That's what Mylene said," Alice said, walking up behind her. Julie nodded and Alice started barking orders, which was completely unlike her.

"Marucho, get your team to find out what this thing is. See if it can be surgically removed," Alice ordered. Marucho nodded. "Dan, you go find some painkillers. They should be in the next room. Shun, do us all a favor and see if you can organize a security team around here. Katie, go and help Marucho's tech team erase the Vexos' tracks. Julie, you go see if you can contact Ace and Barron, as well as Klaus. Actually, that's how you're going to talk to them."

"Gotcha," she said, rollerblading out of the room. Alice sighed and undid Runo's pigtails, allowing them to lie, limp, on the pillow next to her face. Alice glanced at Hydranoid, who was perched on her shoulder, and he jumped up into her hand.

"Thank you, Hydranoid. Do you think... that maybe with the Darkus power, we can nullify the effects of the device," she asked.

"I don't know," said the deeper one of Hydranoid's voices.

"It's worth a shot though," Masquerade stated, appearing in the room. Alice glanced at him and walked over to him.

"Didn't Exedra give you a bit of the Darkus attribute energy," Alice asked. He nodded, walking over to Runo.

"Can you make her sit up," he asked. Alice hurried back to Runo's side and made her lean forward, supporting her with her arm. Masquerade held his hand out to her back and it started to glow purple. Runo winced in her sleep and then jerked, her eyes opening.

"Oh, wow, what the," she murmured. She blinked and looked up at Masquerade.

"Don't move," he told her. "Hopefully, this will negate the effects of the thing he implanted in you. Otherwise, it should delay the effect for a while." Runo closed her eyes and felt the power of darkness battle with her light. After three minutes, the pain in her shoulder was nothing but a memory and Masquerade made the glow stop. Then, the pain rushed back. She let out a cross between a scream and gasp and panted, eyes squeezed shut.

"I don't understand. That should have worked," Masquerade said. A Bakugan popped out on his shoulder. Alice and Runo gasped.

"Is that Reaper," she asked. Masquerade nodded and held up his hand again. More Darkus power flowed from it, soothing Runo's pain.

"I think that I can only delay it for a few minutes. Perhaps if all of those bestowed with the Perfect Core helped, we could make a big impression, but I can't do it alone," Masquerade said. "Go through with the surgery idea. I'll hold my Darkus power furring that and that should help, but if it doesn't we might have to comply with Mylene and the Vexos."

"No. Whatever you do, don't cooperate with them. That's like suicide." Runo forced the words out through gritted teeth because Masquerade stopped.

"But, if we don't, it could kill you," Alice whispered fearfully.

"Yeah well, a lot can happen in three days. And guess what," Runo said. "We're going to get through this and not do anything for them, got it!"

"Okay, Runo," Alice whispered.

"Hey, is this the painkiller," Dan asked, poking his head in through the door. "Oh hey, you're awake! That's good. Hey, Masquerade, what are you doing here?"

"Helping your girlfriend, start guy," he said, turning and revealing Reaper.

"Reaper," Drago gasped, coming in after Dan.

"Get over yourself, Drago. We're on the same side this time," Reaper said.

Drago shook his head and looked at Runo, who was wincing again.

"We're going to go through with surgery. Dan, can you and the others tap into the Perfect Core and use some Darkus power so that we can negate the device during that time," Alice asked.

"I think so. Hold on," Drago said. He held out his hands while Dan held up his staff. They both glowed purple and Runo sighed, feeling good. The lump didn't hurt anymore, but the white glow still emanated from it.

"Okay, see if we can get her into surgery as soon as possible," Marucho said, running into the room.

"Give her some anesthetic, would ya," Mira said, walking in. Alice reached over and grabbed a clear mask from the nightstand.

"Wait- what," Runo protested as she snapped it over her face. "Hey, wait a... minute," she murmured, then her eyelids started to close.

"Sorry, but we have to remove it as soon as possible," Marucho said. She glared at him one last time before her face went slack and she flopped forward again, once more saved by Alice's arm.

"I feel bad about this," Alice said.

"You should," Volt agreed, appearing in the doorway, swiftly followed by Shun, who tried to kick him in the head. He failed miserably.

"Sorry Dan," Shun called, then turned around to confront an angry Shadow Prove(Yes, I know I spelled it differently before, but people get me confuzled to say the least).

"If you think that we're going to let you even have a chance to remove that, then you are sadly mistaken," Volt said. Dan growled while Tigrerra and Drago both stepped forward menacingly.

"Want to take out the trash, Tigrerra," Drago asked, glancing at her.

"Anything to hurt the people that hurt my Runo," Tigrerra replied, already jumping toward them. "Velocity fang!" She slashed at the two, but miraculously, they managed to avoid her attack. She growled and took a step toward Volt. He drew a blade, which Drago knocked off of his arm. Shadow let out a "Huh?" and Drago dove for him.

Dan watched the battle between the four and grabbed the stretcher, as did Alice and Julie, which was stupid because she couldn't get any traction and just ended up being hauled around from place to place. "Shun, clear the way," Dan shouted. He nodded and the others jumped out of the way. Drago and Tigrerra were still fighting so Shun, led them through a different doorway.

"Hey, they're getting away," Shadow cried and Drago and Tigrerra stopped in their attack, looking back toward their partners. They both took off after them while Ingram barred the Vexos' way. After a few minutes, they managed to get past her, but by then all of the Battle Brawlers had disappeared. Even Ingram melted into the shadows. Shadow let out a yell and started breaking things while Volt teleported out of the room, leaving Shadow to do as much damage as he desired.

Dan looked back, still pushing the stretcher. Runo was out cold and Dan's gaze softened when he glanced at her. Her staff was by her side, while his was strapped to his back. _Dan_, he heard in his mind. He blinked but kept running, skidding around a turn. Julie let out a yelp as she was yanked around that corner while Dan shouted his apology. She glared at him and continued to skate.

They arrived at the surgical room within minutes. Dan gave Marucho a funny look. "Just how big is this house?"

Marucho shrugged and pushed the doors open. "Guys, get ready," Dan said. He pointed his staff at Runo, Drago and the others extended their hands toward her. They all started to glow purple and Julie ran from the room. The surgeons got to work while Dan looked away. They weren't out of the woods yet, but they were taking a critical step.

…...

Is that another Cliffhanger? Hope so. It's fun to be evil sometimes. Although, I'm not evil, just evil minded. Dang. It didn't stay on that one line. Oh well.

"Okay, Breezyfeather, you have ticked me off for the last time," Shun says. He lets out a wild yell as he snatches the staff out of Dan's hand and runs towards Breezyfeather. She grabs her laptop and jumps away but Shun jumps after her.

"Hey, what did I do this time," she yells, placing her laptop on the table and diving under it. Shun grabs the laptop and jumps into the air while Breezyfeather starts shouting at him.

"Put it down," she yells.

"Make me," he shouts back. She dashes over to the tennis ball shooter, which is rigged up with many sharpened sticks, and starts it. Shun glares at her and places the laptop on a ledge, then dodges the sticks.

"Are you insane," he screams at her. She glares at him and he hurries to return her laptop. "Are you insane," he asks again, handing it to her. She puts it on a table and reaches over to start the flamethrower thing that Jenny left there. Dan and Shun exchange startled glances and then glare at Klaus.

"Why did you let her have that," Shun demands, jumping into the air.

"Does that answer your question," Breezyfeather calls with a glare.

"Uh, yeah," Dan says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.


	3. Recovery

"**Hey, someone tell Jenny to take her flamethrower home," Dan shouts. Klaus sighs and walks over, then shoulders the thing. Then, he walks out, leaving a gaping Dan to sputter after him as he closes the door. They all stare at the closed door, mouths open.**

"**What is wrong with him?" Komba finally asks.**

"**I think that a lot of us would like to know the answer to that question," Joe says. Breezyfeather snaps her attention back to the computer and starts typing again, then hits the backspace button, then starts typing again and growls.**

"**I hate typos," she screeches, hitting the keyboard with a mallet. Mylene blinks at her and Gus rolls his eyes. Spectra stares at her while she chucks the mallet across the room, making a window smash to smithereens. Julie shrieks and Alice winces.**

"**I think that you should scroll down before she finds her golf club and injures one of us with it,"Chan says.**

"**That sounds good," Julio says, ducking as Breezyfeather finds her golf club, which was hidden under her desk.**

"**GET READING," Masquerade shouts, grabbing Alice and teleporting out of the room.**

…**...**...

"Okay, we've done all that we can," said one of the lead surgeons. "Hopefully, we've removed it. But, there could be lingering effects... like the rash or, at the very least, a scar."

"I think that a few skin disorders are a decent sacrifice compared to a whole world," Marucho said, fidgeting from the Darkus energy in the room.

Dan and the others lowered their arms, exhausted. "I really hope that she's going to be okay," Dan said earnestly. Shun put a hand on his shoulder and Dan looked at him. Shun grinned reassuringly, making Dan smile. Fifteen minutes later, they were hiding in the Safe Room in the center of the building. Runo was hooked up to heart monitors and and I.V., as well as a GSC monitor. Dan watched her chest rise and fall rhythmically. The sound of the oxygen flowing through the tube as she inhaled and exhaled made him nervous and he scanned the room over and over.

"Dan, will you relax," Julie asked.

"Seriously, Dan. We can all sense your agitation," Drago said, glancing at his brawler. Dan blinked apologetically at him and sighed, getting up to pace. Mira groaned and Chan sighed, flopping down on the couch. Dan glanced at Runo when he heard her sigh.

"Ngg... wha?" she mumbled, her eyelids fluttering. Then, she blinked and winced, letting out a choked noise.

"Runo! Are you okay," Dan asked, running to her side. She blinked at him and smiled.

"I think it worked. It still..." she coughed, "hurts a little, but... it's not as bad... Thank you."

"No problems, Runo," Dan said with a smile. He then hugged her and she struggled to hold back a whimper. Dan sensed her pain and pulled back. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Runo whispered around the mask. "I would kiss you if I could, but I don't think it's a good idea to take the mask off yet."

"You're right about that," the doctor said, walking in with a clipboard. "With your injuries, I would advise you to stay in bed for a few days at the least. We'll provide medical examinations from time to time, like now, if you don't mind. Gentlemen, I would appreciate it if you would step out of the room...?" Dan hesitated but Runo smiled at him and he grinned back.

"Go, pwease," Runo said, the word distorted from the mask. Dan giggled and left the room. The doctor- who was a girl- checked her over and nodded at the spot on her back where she had had surgery.

"Yes, you are healing quite nicely," she said, bitterly and for the first time, Runo realized how familiar the voice sounded. She cocked her head at the doctor and noticed the annoyed expression on her face. Then, the haircut registered with her mind and she screamed. Dan burst through the door in a second to see the doctor pulling the surgical mask she had been wearing off of her face. She glared at Dan, who was gaping at her.

"M-Mylene!"

"Yeah, I'm surprised you didn't notice right away," Mylene smirked. Runo looked up at her helplessly, unable to move her arm or even sit up. Mylene smirked down at her while Runo struggled to sit up, moaning in pain and flopping back down on the pillow. "Don't bother. It'll just hurt too much."

"I'm not... letting you... get you hands on the... Haos Energy," Runo gasped out.

"Don't waste your energy," Volt said, stepping through the door. "You'll find that you're going to need it." Runo gasped while Dan jumped between Volt and her, while Shun leapt at Mylene. Runo reached to her left, where the baton was. It took her a minute to find it and then grabbed it with an unsteady hand. She felt a rush of energy and grinned, sitting up. She glared at Volt and Mylene. All of the people in the room had stopped moving and were staring at her.

"Dan, Shun, get outta the way," she shouted, feeling the energy quickly fleeing. They didn't need to be told twice and jumped away. Mylene and Volt started after them but Dan swung his staff at them, making orange cords twist around their bodies.

"Haos Flare blinder," she shouted, ripping the mask off of her face. Dan and Shun grunted and rolled onto the floor, Dan slipping his sunglasses over his eyes and covering them while Shun cried, "Darklight!"

The two Vexos yelled in pain and vanished.

"Marucho! Activate your thing," Runo cried.

"Alright guys, lets do it," Marucho said. "Activate cloaking!"

"Roger sir," one of the men said. He pressed a series of buttons which the others were also hitting, and then an image appeared on the screen. An orange thing descended on the building from the tip of where three lasers met. Marucho smiled and Runo sighed, laying back against the pillow. Dan hurried to her side and put the mask back on. She smiled at him in thanks and dropped her baton, slipping into the blissful confines of sleep.

"Gee, she passes out a lot," Dan commented, walking back to Shun.

"Can you blame her? She's exerting herself," Shun said.

"Gee, you guys have high expectations for a girl that has been put through all of that," Julie commented, rollerblading into the room.

"We sure seem to say 'Gee' a lot," Alice laughed.

"She's gonna be in and out of it for a few days, Dan," Marucho said. "We're gonna have to keep a close eye on her and make sure that the Vexos don't come calling."

"We can do that," Mira said, walking over. "Some of us will hang out on the roof and keep an eye on things outside. Alice, can you work on monitoring security cameras?" She nodded. "Katie, do you think that you can contact Dr. Micheal and tell him that we need to transport Ace and Barron here as soon as possible?" Katie nodded.. "Okay. Dan, you and Shun can keep an eye on Runo."

"Okay," Dan said, his grip on his staff tightening. "If any of those Vexos creeps show up again, they're gonna have _me_ to deal with."

"You said it, Dan," Shun said, crossing his arms. Ingram watched from the corner while Drago nodded. Tigrerra smiled at Runo and placed a hand on the baton.

"So, what are we going to do when she recovers?" Tigrerra asked.

"I think that we'll wait it out for a while, training," Dan said. "Runo's gonna recover, but she's not gonna be in the best shape. So we're gonna have to brush up on our abilities before going to confront the Vexos." Tigrerra nodded.

"You know, I can protect her on my own for a bit," Tigrerra said. "You guys should go train."

"But-" Dan started, but Tigrerra's glare silenced him. He sighed.

"We'll be back in a few hours," he said. "Call if you need any help." Tigrerra nodded, sitting down in a chair by Runo. She was breathing peacefully, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. Tigrerra smiled sadly and brushed a lock of hair from her face. Dan and Shun sighed, then exited the room with Drago and Ingram at their heels. The rest of the humans except for Julie and Billy filed out, leaving Tigrerra alone with Runo and those two.

"Just in case we have to fight again," Julie said. "We'll just brawl and you can swoop in for other attacks if you need to." Tigrerra nodded.

"We won't let you down," Billy said with a thumbs up. Tigrerra smiled at the two of them and sighed, looking back at Runo. She seemed at ease in her sleep, then her face creased over in a frown. Tigrerra blinked and then Runo's eyes fluttered. She blinked, then fully awoke.

"Oh, Runo!" Julie cried, skating over. Runo blinked at her, then looked around fearfully.

"The Vexos are gone, Runo," Gorem said. She sighed in relief, relaxing.

"Good. We can't let them get the Attribute Energies," Runo said, looking at Tigrerra. She smiled around the mask. "We're gonna win this battle."

"I doubt you'll let anything happen otherwise," Tigrerra chuckled. Runo nodded, pulling the mask off. She sat up and held onto her baton.

"I've gotta go train," she said, starting to get up, but Tigrerra forced her back down.

"No, you're gonna heal," she said sternly. Runo pouted, but didn't make a move to lie back.

"But I've gotta be ready-"

"You'll get hurt if you train now, Runo," Julie said. Billy nodded.

"You've gotta get better first," he said. Runo sighed, lying back against the pillow.

"Fine, since you insist. But, as soon as I'm clear I'm getting back to training, got it?"

"That's fine with me," Tigrerra said.

"**Okay, I'm sorry about not updating, people," Breezyfeather says. "I got really sidetracked by a different fanfiction that I just got hooked on as I was writing it. I've pretty much lost interest in this one, but since some of you actually want to know what happens next, I'll continue it for that sake. It might not be updated quickly, so just bear with me here."**

"**Lazy," Dan coughs. Breezyfeather glares at him and whips out her golf club. His face shows fear and he jumps away. Breezyfeather swings and misses. Dan smirks.**

**I really am truly sorry about not updating. I'll try to update as much as possible from now on.**


	4. Training and Reunions

**Okay, so people, once again I'm sorry about the lack of updating! I've been busy with school so forgive me about not updating! I'll try harder next time! Gomenasai!**

**By the way, I don't know what this song is called, but I hope you like it!**

**.com/watch?v=Gg4GG1u-WzM&translated=1**

"Hey Runo, I've got breakfast," Dan said with a laugh, walking into the room. He blinked, realizing that Runo wasn't in her bed. He dropped the breakfast tray and looked around, then ran out of the room. "Drago! I can't find Runo," he shouted.

"What?" Drago cried, popping around the corner. Dan nodded, his staff appearing in his hand.

"Did the Vexos get her?" Shun asked calmly, making Dan and Drago jump. They searched for the source of Shun's voice, and then he and Ingram dropped down from the ceiling. (**What he hiding from Breezyfeather? Who knows? Smirks**)

"I don't think so. If they did we would know," Marucho said, coming in with a computer. "An alarm would have gone off."

"But if they disabled it would it have gone off?" Elfin asked.

"Yeah, Elfin has a point there," Preyas agreed.

"Well, I made it so that it's completely impossible for the security to be breached here. It can only be disabled by a sixty two number-letter code, a palm scan, retina scan, and a blood scan," Marucho said. Dan and Shun stared at him in shock.

"It's called having the most up to date security system that not even the Vexos—or Shun(**O.O**) can bypass," Marucho said, typing commands on his computer.

"What are you guys doing?" Runo asked, peering over Dan's shoulder.

"We're looking for you, Run—Runo!" Dan whirled around, accidentally whacking Runo in the face. She yelped, falling backward. She glared up at him, one hand on her cheek where he had struck her. He stared at her in shock, then hurried to help her up.

"What was that for?" she snapped, standing with his help.

"R-Runo, I'm sorry about that," he stammered. "That was an accident, I swear! We were looking for you since you weren't in your bed... where were you!"

"I was in the bathroom, nut job," she snapped, walking back to her bed with her tail waving behind her. His face was red and Shun was shaking his head.

"Only you could make that mistake," Shun laughed. Dan hit him on the head with his weapon and Shun groaned, then jumped away.

"Sorry, Runo," Dan said, walking after her. "I sorta panicked. I mean, we have been kidnapped by them and, of course, you got hurt..." Runo sighed, sitting down on the side of the white bed.

"I can understand that, but you don't have to be such an overprotective duface," she said with a grin. Dan smiled at her and patter her hand.

"So, tomorrow I can come and train?" she said.

"No, Runo," Dan said. Her eyes narrowed at him and Tigrerra smiled.

"You got the date confused again, Runo," Drago said with a smile. "Today. Today is when you get to train again." Runo's face lit up and she jumped up, punching the air.

"All right! Let's go, then!" she cried, opening her fist. Her staff appeared in her hand and her battle clothes appeared on her body. Dan grinned, although his eyes flashed concern when he noticed the bandages below the armor. He shook off his feeling of unease and twirled his staff in his hand.

"Oh, by the way, do you want breakfast?" Dan asked. She nodded and he scratched the back of his head, glancing back at the remains of the breakfast he was going to give her. She followed his gaze and glared at him, then whacked him on the head with her baton.

"You klutz," she grumbled, getting up. "Come on, we'll go to the dining hall for breakfast. What time is it?"

"Around five thirty," Shun told her. She glared at Dan, who looked flustered. She rolled her eyes with a grin and shrugged, then walked out of the room.

"I think that you're lucky she hasn't dumped you yet," Ingram said.

"You said it," Drago agreed.

"I think I'm lucky to be alive the way she goes hitting me," Dan said, shaking his head as he hurried after his girlfriend. Runo rolled her shoulders back, wincing at the pain that shot through her back. It had been still hurting her, even through the surgery, but she couldn't let the others know that. She knew they wouldn't let her train if they knew. But she also knew that the Haos energy would be placed in harms way if she didn't tell them, but she hoped that, with practice, she could keep the power from being sucked away from her. She had to try.

"Runo, wait up," Dan called. Runo turned, seeing Dan, Drago, and Tigrerra dashing after her. She smiled and slowed, allowing them to catch up.

"Hey Dan?" she said. He gave her a questioning look and she smirked. "Race you to the dining hall," she shouted, sprinting down the hallway. His expression was of utter shock, then he tore after her.

"Hey, no fair Runo! You got a head start," he shouted. She laughed, skidding around a corner and diving down this hallway. He stayed on her tail on the most direct route to the dinning hall, then she ducked into a hallway leading away from it. Dan was puzzled, but dove after her. The hallway was wide enough, so he took to the air. Runo smirked, then ducked and somersaulted until she came to a halt. Dan couldn't slow soon enough and slammed into a wall. Runo winked and got to her feet, dashing back the way they had come.

Dan rolled over, rubbing his head. "Well, that hurt," he groaned, getting up. He looked around, realizing that Runo had tricked him. He shook his head, started to run again, dashing toward the dining hall. When he entered, he saw Runo sitting down, eating a piece of toast. On her plate were scrambled eggs with salt, another piece of toast, and an orange. She had a glass of orange juice by her plate, which she now reached for. Dan glared at her, then smiled.

"Clever," he said. She smiled and swallowed her juice.

"Thanks. I don't think it'll work with the Vexos, though... but it is a good trick to learn for their Bakugan, I guess," she said thoughtfully.

"Well, misleading them is good," Dan said, grabbing a plate for himself. Then, he changed his mind and put the plate back, grabbing a bowl. He poured some cereal in it and then the milk and sat down next to Runo. They ate in silence and were soon joined by Drago and Tigrerra. Drago grabbed a bagel and Tigrerra a crescent roll. All of them finished their breakfasts quickly, then got up.

Runo led the way to the training area, eager to get started again. Marucho had relocated it to the side of the building, and it was hidden by a very high roof, at least fifty feet off the ground, that way the Vexos couldn't spot them from above. And although it was extremely unlikely that they would be searching for them with an areal view, it never hurt to be prepared. Runo looked at Tigrerra, who was also looking at her. They smiled and continued walking.

Dan and Drago also exchanged glances, then grinned. Dan quickly ducked toward Runo and grabbed her from behind. Runo yelped in surprise then glanced at Tigrerra, who grinned.

"Tig, give me support, please," Runo said.

"Yes, my lady," Tigrerra responded. Dan looked at Drago, confused, then a bright light errupted from Tigrerra's fingers. Dan winced but tightened his grip on Runo. He didn't notice that she wasn't struggling. Then, suddenly, she was gone! Dan gasped, realizing that his arms were closed around empty air. He quickly pulled his sunglasses over his eyes and looked around. Runo was hovering above him, grinning, with Shun by her side. Dan blinked.

"Shun? What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"I learned a new trick," Shun said with a grin.

"What do you mean?"

"He can turn himself into energy and fly around. So can I, since he taught me," Runo grinned.

"Is that why you asked Tigrerra for support?"

"Why do you think?"

"Oh, ha ha."

"Come on, Dan," Drago said. "We've got to train."

"Yeah, you're right," Dan said, smirking. "Alright then. Let's see what you've got!"

"Bring it on," Runo said, putting her hands on her hips. She held out her arm and her baton reappeared(**she hid it during breakfast**), and Dan did the same thing. Shun grinned, flapping his six wings. Runo's ears twitched and she did a flip in the air, then dissolved into energy. She loved this feeling! It was total bliss. No attack could hit her when she was like this, it was a perfect cover. No pain reached her either, since she was now energy, and energy didn't have nerve endings.

She changed back to herself behind Dan and then Tigrerra appeared beside her. "Thanks for the help, Tig," Runo hissed. Tigrerra nodded. Runo silently crept behind Dan and then he whirled around surprising her with his sharp weapon. She flinched and winced slightly, but Dan just thought that it was because of the close contact with the blade. Runo quickly backtracked, swinging her baton to clash against Dan's weapon. Sparks flew and then Drago shot a tornado of flame at Tigrerra. She gasped, jumping out of the way.

Shun sent a green whirlwind toward Dan, who gasped. The attack hit him dead on and he was slammed against the wall. Runo grinned, jumping back into the air. Suddenly, two people called out, "Gauntlet Power Strike!" Runo and the others turned to face the direction the voices had come from. Mira and Julie were standing there, Gauntlets powered up and grinning.

"How about a little extra training?" Mira asked. "Against Bakugan."

"Sounds like fun!" Dan said. Then, Drago, Tigrerra, and Ingram glowed, becoming their Bakugan selves. Ingram and Drago looked like they did when they evolved at the center of New Vestroia, while Tigrerra looked like herself, except for the added wing-blades. Runo grinned and the three kids powered up their gauntlets.

"Gauntlet Power Srike!"

"Gate card, set!" Mira cried. Drago, Ingram, and Tigrerra all became balls again.

"Bakugan, brawl! Wilda, stand!"

"You're going down, Drago!" Wilda grinned. Dan smirked.

"Bakugan, brawl! Drago stand!" Drago emerged in a burst of flame and a roar.

"Bakugan, brawl! Ingram, stand!"

"Ha ha! Prepare to be humbled by Ventus Master Ingram," Ingram shouted.

"Bakugan, brawl! Gorem, stand!" Gorem arose from his sphere, holding his large hammer.

"Bakugan, brawl! Tigrerra, stand," Runo shouted, throwing down her Haos Bakugan. The strain on her shoulder made her gasp inaudibly, but Shun's sensitive ears picked it up. He glanced at her, noticing her wincing. His eyes narrowed in concern, but he looked away before she caught him. He, Runo, and Dan took off, shooting toward their Bakugan.

"Ability Activate! Gallows punch," Mira shouted.

"Nice choice, Mira," Wilda praised her. He jumped at Drago, slamming into him hard. He roared, being forced back.

"Ability activate! Shooting dragon," Dan yelled. Drago roared again, shooting a large fire blast from his mouth. It hit Wilda in the chest, sending him stumbling, too.

"Ability activate," Runo yelled. "Twin rapier!" Tigrerra stretched out her arms, two golden blades appearing in her hands. The cuffs covered her knuckles and Tigrerra roared.

"Ability activate! Divine rapier slash," Runo cried. Tigrerra grinned, shooting toward Gorem.

"Ability Activate! Atlas Twister," Mira shouted. Wilda lifted his arms, a large volcanic shield growing from beneath him. Tigrerra came into contact with the shield rather than Gorem, her target. She growled.

"Shooting Haos," Runo yelled.

"Pyrus Flame!"

"Ventus Ninja Stealth!"

Shun vanished while Dan and Drago seemed to burst into flame. Runo's staff glowed and their opponents had to shield their eyes. Dan and Drago shot at them, forcing Wilda back into ball form.

"Ergh!" Mira grunted as her Life Gauge dropped by 30.

"Ability Activate! Grand Impact," Julie shouted. Gorem's hammer flew at Drago and Tigrerra, both of which fell. Runo and Dan gasped, feeling themselves return to their positions.

"Well Shun," Julie grinned. "Looks like it's just you and me!"

"Heh." Shun was still invisible, although Ingram waited silently, glaring at Gorem.

"Ability Activate! Wind Split!" Julie's head snapped toward his voice, but the glow from the Gauntlet was not there. She blinked and looked up at Ingram, who had divided into five of himself and merged with the ground.

"Oh no you don't!" Julie cried. "Ability activate! Ventus Nulifier!" Shun gasped, as did Ingram, as they were forced into visibility. "Ha ha! Got ya now! Ventus Nulifier is an ability that nullifies any ability cast by any battler with the attribute I name! And since you're the only Ventus brawler, the jokes on you!"

"No way!" Shun gasped.

"Ah Shun, come on! Move it or loose it!" Dan hissed. Runo glared at him and smacked him upside the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You're being annoying."

"Why I oughta-" _Smack! _"RUNO!"

"Ability activate! Shadow Wing!" The two gasped as another Bakugan flew out of Shun's card. It shot up into the air. "Shadow Wing, Stand! Ability activate, Ninjitsu Combo, Mighty Fang, and Vista Wing!" Shadow Wing merged with Ingram and Ingram grinned.

"Ability activate! Moonlight Slash!"

"No! Ability Activate! Wait a minute-" Julie cried when her Gauntlet refused to glow.

"That's right. I nulified your ability. And not only that, but it subtracts 300 points from the opponent. And, with no more abilities or gate cards, I'd have to say that this battle is just about wrapped up," Shun grinned. Then, his gaze hardened. "Ability Activate! Kazami Style Ninja Torpedo Slash!"

Julie gasped and yelled in protest as Ingram took down Gorem. She pouted when her Bakugan returned to her and landed on the ground next to her feet.

"We took a beating there," Dan said as Shun caught his Bakugan.

"Yeah, you did. I didn't," he grinned. Dan rolled his eyes and held up his card.

"Alright, Gate Card, set!"

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand," they all shouted, except for Runo. Dan's and Runo's Life Gauges were at 50%, and Julie and Mira's were at 70. Shun still had all of his points.

"Ability activate! Shooting Dragon," Dan shouted. "And, Pyrus flame!"

"Ability activate! Atlas shield," Mira cried. The two fire blasts shot by the two Pyrus Baku-humans crashed into the shield rather than their targets and Dan growled.

"Ability activate," Shun yelled. "Wind power, glimmering shadow slash!"

Ingram glowed, shooting toward Gorem. He lashed out at him with the hooked blades on his wrist, making Gorem groan.

"Mira!" Julie shouted. Mira glanced toward her, then grinned. The two jumped toward each other, standing back to back. They both inserted the same card into their gauntlets.

"Ability activate! Copycat!" they cried. Wilda and Gorem each shot the same attack back at their opponents. Shun gasped, jumping off Ingram. He soared away from him with his wings.

"Ability activate! Armored Intense Mode!" Ingram's wings wrapped around him as Gorem slashed at him.

"Ability activate! Superior shield," Dan cried. His ability blocked Wilda's attack and then Runo jumped up.

"Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand!" Tigrerra emerged from her Bakugan ball with a roar, flipping and landing on her feet. Runo held out her hand and her baton appeared, then she jumped and her winged boots carried her up to Tigrerra's level. "Let's go, Tigrerra!" Runo grinned.

"No you don't Runo," Julie said. "Ability activate! Talos hammer!" The large, curved hammer appeared and Gorem grabbed it.

"You're going down, Tigrerra," he said.

"Not on my watch," Runo said. "Ability activate! Twin rapier!"

"That again? Repeating abilities never gets you anywhere!" Mira smirked. Runo smirked also and Mira blinked.

"Ability activate! Divine rapier slash! Shooting Haos!" The light in the room suddenly became too bright to bear. Mira and Julie turned away while Drago and Ingram roared in discomfort. Dan and Shun quickly called out, "Darklight!" and blinked, turning toward their Bakugan.

"Ability activate! Shooting Dragon!"

"Ability activate! Glimmering shadow slash!"

The two Sub-Terra Bakugan fell with roars of pain. Mira and Julie dropped to their knees beside their fallen Bakugan as their Life Gauges dropped to zero. "Mira and Julie Life Force zero," the Gauntlet reported.

Julie sighed while Mira grinned. "Nice game you guys," she said, walking over. Runo's baton disappeared with a similar effect to one being dimensionally transported. She floated down to the ground, Tigrerra clasped tightly in her hand. Dan and Shun grinned, slapping high fives.

"Thanks! And when we're all fighting the Vexos together, they don't stand a chance," Julie exclaimed.

"Did I hear the mention of Vexos?" someone asked. Mira and the others turned in surprise. Mira's face brightened as Dan and Shun grinned.

"Barron! Ace! Alright, you made it," Dan said, walking over to them. Barron and he slapped fives while he grabbed hands with Ace.

"Mylene and Hydron ambushed us on Vestal," Barron reported sadly. He bowed his head in shame. "They took the Haos energy from me."

"Don't sweat it, dude. We still have it," Dan grinned. Barron blinked.

"You do?"

"Yeah! The Ancients gave part of it to Runo and Tigrerra," Shun grinned. Runo smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry. We're still okay," Mira explained, walking up. Barron smiled.

"Mylene didn't get the Darkus Energy, which is a good thing," Ace announced. Runo nodded.

"Did Julie and the others fill you in on the crisis we had the other day?" Dan asked. Runo sighed, jumping up and shooting into the air.

"Not really. They told us that the Vexos attacked you and that Runo got sick," Barron said thoughtfully.

"Well, that's true, but it's worse," Shun told them.

"What did they do?"

"Come on inside. I'm hungry, so we'll tell you there," Dan grinned. They all laughed and Runo landed beside them. She held out Tigrerra and she took her human form. Drago and Ingram followed suit, making Barron and Ace's eyes get huge.

"No way! That's so cool!" Barron exclaimed. He jumped over to Drago and pulled him into a bear hug. Drago grunted while the others burst out laughing. Dan started inside, the others following like puppies. Barron refused to let go of Drago and when Dan looked back to see what his Bakugan was doing, he fell over laughing.

"Barron?" Drago asked in annoyance.

"Yeah?"

"Will you please let me go?"

"Oh! Of course! I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, Barron," Drago sighed.

Runo and the others burst out laughing again.

"Silence humans!"

"I'm not a human!" Ace laughed. Drago glared at him and Mira giggled.

**Well that was fun. I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever, but I've been really busy with school and stuff that I sorta forgot about this story. I also kinda had writer's block for this chapter so I went back, reread it, and finally came up with a decent story board. Oh, and guess what? A new season of Bakugan is gonna be coming out soon. ANOTHER SEASON! That's FOUR seasons! All I have to say is Awesome!**

**Okay. I'm gonna be quiet now and say goodbye until I update again. But, since I'm posting this on Halloween, I'm gonna say farewell with these two words: Happy Halloween!**


	5. Things Remembered

"**Hey Breezyfeather, when are you gonna let them go?" Dan asks. Shun and Breezyfeather look up at Emperor Barodius and King Zenoheld, both of which are chained to the wall. "And why isn't Shun there with them?"**

"**Gee thanks Dan," Shun says with a smirk.**

"**Sorry, but Shun is my new favorite! He has some awesome ninja moves in Gundalian Invaders," Breezyfeather says with a grin. "Here is my top ten favorite character list: Shun, Lync, Runo, Zennet, Hydron, Spectra, Gus, Mylene, Ren, and Fabia. They are all awesome characters. I just love Zennet because she is kind on the inside... poor girl. Oh the plus side, she ain't dead!"**

"**You really need to put a spoiler warning above that paragraph," Mylene mutters.**

"**What? How come I'm not up there?" Dan whines.**

"**Be quiet Dan," Fabia smirks.**

"**Oh yeah. Quick spoiler for my story here. I'm gonna bring in the Gundalian Invader characters! Except this time Ren is gonna be good from the start. Let's just say that he manages to escape from Barodius before they make him go to Earth and he uses his major tech skills to hack the server and accidentally transports himself to Nethia and meets up with Fabia. That's all I'm gonna say. Except for this. This chapter will be in his point of view. This should be fun!" Breezyfeather exclaims.**

**Shun looks at her, then Zennet and Ren. "You do realize that was a huge spoiler, right?" Marucho says, pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose.**

"**Yeah, I do."**

"**And that doesn't bother you?" Fabia asks.**

"**Not really."**

"**..."**

**ON WITH THE GUNDALIAN POV.**

Ren sighed, leaning against the wall. When was the transporter to Earth going to be ready? He wondered if he did his job right Barodius would let him leave the dark abyss he came from. He only knew the darkness. It had been his companion every day of his life. That and Linehalt, whom he was grateful to have around. Otherwise he would have definitely tried to kill himself. The never ending dark abyss was too much to bear at times unless you had company. It just pressed in on your body, forcing the air out of your lungs and squeezing like a Boa Constrictor. It wasn't that he was scared of the dark-far from it- but if that was all that you saw, all the time, then you, too, would go a little crazy.

He wondered what the surface looked like. He had never seen it. He wondered if he ever would. Barodius's soldiers had come to tell him that the Emperor sought his assistance on the assault on Nethia. He had been told that he would go to some place called earth in search of a group of elite Bakugan battlers. The Battle Brawlers. He was to find them and make them his "friends", whatever those were. He was to bring them to the emperors side to fight alongside them in the war against Nethia.

He knew enough about the war. He had heard the guards of the dark abyss he was imprisoned in talking about it often enough. The emperor wanted a power hidden on Nethia for himself, to let him rule all existing worlds. He would harness that power and use it to conquer any and all worlds he came across to become the supreme ruler of the universe.

Personally, Ren thought that the emperor was a little messed up in the head. He knew that Barodius's father had been adored by his subjects. He had been a wonderful ruler, a peace keeper, and a friend to his people. He would never so much as think about invading another world for a rumored power that resided there. Ren wondered if he would still be imprisoned here if that emperor were still in possession of the throne.

"Ren," Linehalt whispered. Ren blinked.

"What is it, Linehalt?" Ren asked, looking up at the Darkus Bakugan.

"They're coming."

Ren stiffened, getting to his feet. Sure enough, five armored soldiers were walking stiffly toward them. Ren looked at Linehalt and nodded. The large Bakugan glowed purple and shrank into a small ball that could fit into the palm of Ren's hand. He held onto the Bakugan ball tightly and walked to meet the soldiers, eager to talk to someone that wasn't larger then him.

"The emperor requests an audience with you, Ren," the leader of the group announced. Ren nodded, following them as they turned back the way they came. It took them about ten minutes to walk to the elevator on the other side of the abyss. All the while, the soldiers had their pointed staffs pointed in front of them, sweeping them from side to side like blind people, while Ren simply followed with ease. Ren could see the elevator long before they could and silently beat them to it. He waited next to it until they reached it and jumped behind them. They didn't detect his movement.

The ride up the elevator took longer than it did to get there. Ren leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, knowing that the light would hurt his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter as the light shined through his eyelids, but it didn't make much of a difference in the end. By the time they reached the top of the elevator, Ren was in agony, sitting on the floor with his arms crossed in front of his face.. The light above was dim to anyone that had spent their life living there, but as Ren had grown up in that dark abyss, this was torture.

He spent ten minutes sitting there, slowly moving his arms out of the way. Eventually, he removed them entirely and opened his eyes.

Everything was blurred at first, then gradually came into focus. The light wasn't as harsh on his eyes now, but it was still alien to him. He stood slowly, taking a look around. The guards had vanished, probably assuming that he was still behind them. He shook his head, trying to remember the way to the emperor's chambers. He opened his hand and Linehalt popped out of his ball.

"They left us, Linehalt," Ren murmured softly. Linehalt sighed. "Do you remember the way to the emperor's chambers?"

"I think we took a right last time," Linehalt said thoughtfully. Ren nodded, taking a step out of the open elevator and ducking to the right. He decided to run it, thinking he might be late and that the emperor would be angry with him. If he were angry, he might take away this opportunity! Ren realized that with a jolt and picked up the pace more. This was his only opportunity to get out of that dark abyss. He had to take it, even if it meant making a few people upset.

Upset? Where had that idea come from? Ren shook his head, not wanting to dwell on it right now. He slowed when he came to a corner, then decided to make random turns and hope for the best. He took a left this time, wondering where the heck he was going. Now a right. Now go left. Left again. Now right. He sprinted down hallway after hallway until he was out of breath. "I told you that running around down there was a good idea," Linehalt said. "I knew there would be a reason some day."

"I never thought we would leave, so I didn't see a point," Ren told him. "But I guess you were right." He smiled at the Dark Bakugan and looked down the hallway. A female Gundalian was walking down the hallway, with wild green hair and a hat that dipped in front of her eye. She was accompanied by another female, with blue hair and a stiff blue dress. The one with green hair was talking.

"I mean, how much money do they expect us to pay for just a simple pair of shoes that look like the ones on earth? I mean, really. They're just shoes."

"Well, if they're replicas of the ones of earth, I imagine it must have taken a while to make them. Plus they're really only supposed to be used for missions to earth, and not very many people go on those missions," the blue haired girl said, pushing her glasses up higher on her nose. The green haired girl shrugged, then her eyes got big,

"Oh oh oh! I just remembered!"

"What is it, Zennet?" the blue haired one asked.

"I heard that the emperor was recruiting a guy to be the leader of our team," the one called Zennet exclaimed. "Apparently he's a Darkus battler! I wonder what he looks like. What do you think, Lena?"

"I don't know. Darkus battlers aren't really my taste," Lena said. They walked by Ren, who was frozen. Zennet looked at him funny.

"Hey you there. What are you doing here? This hallway is off limits to the public," Lena said, following Zennet's gaze. Ren narrowed his eyes at her.

"Ren, calm down. These are part of your team," Linehalt said to him. Ren nodded slightly.

"Can we help you with something?" Zennet asked.

"Actually, yes. I hear your names are Zennet and Lena, right?"

"Yeah. What's it to you?" Zennet asked.

"Don't ask others names without stating your own first," Lena said to him.

"Forgive me. My name is Ren Krawler. I believe that I am that Darkus battler you two were discussing a moment ago," Ren said. Their eyes got wide and they exchanged glances.

"You're the guy that's supposed to be leading us?" Zennet said in surprise.

"That's what the emperor tells me. I'm on a way to a meeting with him right now. Forgive me if I'm being rude, but does everybody here look the same way that you do?"

"Uh..." Zennet goggled.

"What do you mean by that, Ren?" Lena asked.

"I mean, does everybody have the same relative appearance? I wouldn't know, I was kept in darkness for my whole life. The emperor says that he might let me life in the light if I succeed with this mission," Ren said.

"I would be careful if I were you, Ren," a large man said, walking up. His arms were clasped behind his back and he was wearing nothing but brown, although Ren didn't know the name of the color. It just looked earthy. The man was almost twice as tall as he was and had gray skin. A brown mustache and beard circled his mouth, making Rne look at him strangely. The man didn't seem to notice, but looked down at Ren as a teacher would a dishonest pupil.

"That's Master Nurzak," Zennet hissed.

"Greetings, Sir," Ren said, deciding that "Sir" would be an appropriate title if she called him Master.

"Hello, Ren Krawler. I would be careful to trust Barodius's word. He is not always honest, like his father was," Nurzak said with a faint-very faint-air of wistfulness. Ren blinked at him and nodded.

"Yes Sir," he said. "Um... could one of you please point me in the direction of the emperor's chambers? He summoned me for a private meeting,"

"Of course, Ren," Nurzak said. "I was just on my way in that direction right now, so you may as well come with me."

"Good luck Ren," Zennet hissed.

"Yes, good luck," Lena agreed, the two watching in silence as Nurzak led Ren in the opposite dirrection that he came.

"Looks like we were going the wrong way," Linehalt murmured to him. Ren nodded and kept his pace matched with Nurzak's, who was going rather fast. Soon Ren was out of breath because of the unusual method of movement. Like the halls of the surface, this method of movement was alien to him. All of the training with Linehalt had been running, push ups, and hacking the computers near the elevators. That had mostly just been pressing random buttons until someone left a book there. He thought it was an eerie coincidence and somehow figured out how to read. Linehalt had been a huge help, but neither of them understood some words.

"Ren? Are you listening?" Ren jumped, realizing he hadn't been paying attention.

"I'm sorry, Sir. What were you saying?"

"I have little tolerance for those that don't listen," Nurzak said, looking back at Ren.

"My apologies, Sir. I'm not used to people speaking to me, Sir. Mostly it's just my own thoughts that keep me occupied. That and Linehalt here," Ren apologized. Ren didn't think that Nurzak heard him because he didn't acknowledge his apology, and Ren contemplated repeating himself.

"It is of no great importance, Ren," Nurzak finally said. "Now. I must teach you a few things. First of all, it wasn't the emperor that wished to see you. It was me. I told the guards that you were wanted by the emperor and they dare not question me, as a member of the 12 Orders. Do you know what the 12 Orders are?"

"I think that they're the group of Gundalians that are the closest to the emperor, right?" Ren said slowly. "A lady named Kazarina is one of them, and a guy called Gill, and Airzel and, well, you. I don't know the rest of them."

"You have the right idea, Ren. You have much to learn. I will be your teacher, since if you are going to be the leader of the team to earth," he practically spat, "you will need to know a variety of different things." Ren blinked at Nurzak's disproving tone. Perhaps he felt the same way that Ren did.

"Sir, you speak of that team with distaste," Ren said carefully. "Is it possible that you dislike the project?" Nurzak stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes flicked back to Ren. He turned, his face a mask of eerie calm. Ren felt a knot of fear tightening in his stomach and he took a step back.

"Ren, don't show your fear. It makes your opponents feel they have power over you," Linehalt hissed. Ren let his shoulders broaden and he arched his back, standing his ground. He made his eyebrows crease and his mouth form a straight line, giving him an air of authority. Nurzak narrowed his eyes at him.

"I will tell you when we reach our destination. I have no doubt that the emperor knows what he is doing, that he knows the mess he is getting into, but he lacks the experience to completely obtain what he desires," Nurzak said, turning back to the hall. "Come, I don't wish for others to see you on the surface."

Ren followed him at the same pace as before, stumbling a few times but managing to stay right behind the wise Gundalian. "What do you think he's going to say, Ren?" Linehalt asked.

"I'm not sure," Ren murmured. "I'm not that great at reading people. You out of everyone here should know that."

"I suppose you're right Ren," Linehalt said. They traveled in silence for the remainder of the journey and then Nurzak stopped suddenly. Ren almost bumped into him but caught himself just in time, taking a startled step back.

"This room is top secret. Even Barodius doesn't know about it," Nurzak said to Ren, who peered passed him at the plain, black wall. "It is very crucial that you remember the way here. If you can't, I'll give you a map from the elevator." Ren nodded. "Can you remember?" Ren hesitated and shook his head. Nurzak sighed, looking annoyed. "I'll give you a map, as long as you promise to never loose it or show it to anyone else."

"I promise, Sir," Ren promised.

"Good, Ren. Come inside then," Nurzak said, pressing a panel on the wall. The door slid to the side with a mechanical whir and Ren gasped. Nurzak looked at him expectantly and Ren took a step inside, looking around in awe. It was very dim in here, so it was easy on Ren's eyes. A table stood in the center of the room with six chairs around it, a couch in one corner and a large chest against a wall. A huge painting of a regal Gundalian hung proudly on the wall opposite the door. Candles were lit in various points of the room for illumination and Ren didn't really mind. They reminded him of a firefly he and Linehalt had seen a while ago, when Ren had first wondered if he could live on the surface.

"Sit down, Ren," Nurzak ordered and Ren hesitated for a second, then took a step toward the table and pulled out a chair. He sank into it gratefully and Linehalt jumped off of his shoulder and into his hand.

"I see that you and your partner are on good terms," Nurzak acknowledged. Ren flinched and looked at Nurzak as he sat down across from him. A Sub-Terra Bakugan opened above Nurzak's shoulder and floated there, bobbing up and down gently.

"This is Sub-Terra Sabator. He is my guardian Bakugan, much like you have your Darkus Linehalt," Nurzak said. Ren's eyes widened.

"How did you know about Linehalt?"

"I am one of Barodius's most trusted advisers. I was the one that suggested your leadership for the team that is to be sent to earth," Nurzak explained, closing his eyes. Ren's eyes widened. Nurzak looked at him. "I see great promise in you, Ren. You have much to learn, though. And perhaps you will do a good job and earn your freedom."

"Master Nurzak, about what I asked earlier..."

"Hm? Oh yes, that. Yes, I do doubt his decision. It is a stupid idea to go and try to harness all of that power and then try to conquer all worlds. Power struggles like that will get you into big trouble and perhaps even cost you your life," Nurzak said. "The emperor's father was much wiser than Barodius is. He was a kind emperor and never sought violence or domination. But growing up as a spoiled child is never going to let you turn out the same as your father did. The previous emperor did not know that and now his son wishes to conquer all worlds and do whatever it takes to accomplish that. It will not end well for him."

"Master Nurzak... if you don't believe in this plan of his, then why are you preparing me for the thing that you are against?"

"I believe that is enough questions for today, Ren," Nurzak said suddenly, standing up. "I will call for you every few days to start your lessons and battle training. Be prepared for the light and don't reveal to anyone the contents of our meetings. No one is to know about this."

"Uh, yes Sir," Ren stammered.

"Do you believe you can find your way back to the elevator using the map?" Nurzak asked, handing Ren a rolled up slip of paper. Ren carefully unrolled the ancient scroll and was able to decipher the path to the elevator.

"I think so. Thank you, Sir," Ren said, looking up at his new teacher.

"Think nothing of it. Off you go."

"Yes Sir."

Ren sighed, remembering that day. That day three years ago when he had just begun to learn about his world, and about earth. Ren leaned against the dark walls of his abysmal home, not caring about the light breeze that lifted his silver hair gently. He ran one of his dark skinned hands through his hair, forcing the stubborn tangles to right themselves. He looked up as Linehalt shifted in his position.

"Do you think the assault will begin soon?" Ren asked.

"It may," Linehalt replied. "And that will mean that our mission to achieve freedom will be beginning, too."

"Yeah, it will." Ren and Linehalt were silent.

"Whatever happens, I promise that we'll still remain partners," Ren vowed. Linehalt smiled.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"**Hm. That was a pretty uneventful chapter if you ask me," Breezyfeather says. Ren looks at her, then at Fabia. **

"**That means that you're next, Fabia," Ren grins. Fabia sighs.**

"**I guess it does. Don't make it too painful," Fabia mutters. Breezyfeather glares at her, then her eyes get wide.**

"**OMG! Idea! Idea!"**

"**Care to elaborate?" Spectra asks.**

"**No."**

"**You can be really annoying sometimes, you know that?" Jake says.**

"**Shut up."**

"**It's the truth, you know," Runo agrees.**

"**You be quiet, too!"**

"**..."**

"**..."**

"**HOW COME ALL OF MY INTROS/OUTROS END UP IN AN AWKWARD SILENCE?"**

"**Gee, I wonder why," Mira murmurs to Fabia and Shun.**

"**Yeah, I wonder why that is," Shun says in mock interest.**

"**SHUT UP!" Breezyfeather starts chasing them with a golf club and the others laugh.**

"**It's an improvement," Hydron says with a shrug. Lync snickers.**

"**LYNC YOU'RE NEXT!"**


	6. An Unspeakable Agony Relieved

"**Okay! I think that now I'll write for Fabia," Breezyfeather grins. Fabia sighs. "I had to change the intro to this story because of how it played out. I'm really really sorry I haven't updated this in forever, but I'm going to try my best from now on. I promise."**

"**This is really heartfelt, Breezyfeather," Runo calls from the computer, her eyes tearing. Breezyfeather smiles in happiness.**

"**I'm glad you like it."**

**Please tell me what you think of this... this is the first time I've written something like this. Please let me know what you think.**

Fabia sighed, watching the battle taking place outside the palace through her windows. Her blue skin shone with her royal beauty, her eyes sparking with worry and sadness as they flicked form battler to battler on the battle field. Her dark blue hair fell in front of her eyes again and she brushed it away halfheartedly, her long royal garbs brushing lightly against her face.

"Princess Fabia," Captain Elright said, walking into the room. The door made the loud clanging noise as it opened and closed, but Fabia didn't turn her head. She beckoned him in without looking at him. "Please forgive the intrusion, but Queen Serena wishes to speak with you."

"Not now. I'm watching to see how the troops are doing. Jin would have wanted me to oversee their actions and help if they are in trouble," Princess Fabia murmured, her eyes not straying from the scene before her eyes.

"Princess, it's urgent."

"I don't care. If it were truly important she would have come to find me herself." Fabia remembered the previous conversation she and her older sister had shared. It had taken place in Serena's throne room. "I don't care what you say, Serena," Fabia had yelled. "Nothing is going to stop me!"

"Get back here, now! Fabia!" Serena had shouted as Fabia ran from the room. Fabia sighed.

"I knew that she would be stubborn, Captain Elright," a calm feminine voice said, jolting Fabia out of her reverie. "You may depart."

"Yes, Your Majesty." His footsteps sounded as he walked toward the door, pressing the keypad and walking out. Serena stood there for a moment, then walked over to her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder. Fabia didn't move.

"Fabia," she murmured. Fabia was unresponsive. "Fabia, I know it hurts. I know that you don't want to move on. But you must. It's your duty as the princess." Fabia was silent for a moment more, then jumped up and away from her sister.

"Move on? Move on? How can you even think about asking me that?" Fabia shouted. Serena was silent, looking on at her sister with stern eyes. "He was my fiance! What do you expect me to do?"

"You can't keep living with this sadness, Fabia," Serena said softly. "You need to let go."

"I can't let go! Jin was my fiance! I loved him! And despite that..." Fabia trailed off, turning away from her sister. "Despite that, I couldn't get back Aranaut! Kazarina took him!"

"Is that why you can't let go?" Fabia froze. "Is it guilt that makes it hard to release him?"

"I don't know! I loved him!" Fabia broke off sobbing. She sank to her knees, sobbing into her hands. "We were going to live together! We were going to raise our kids as the future leaders of Nethia! We were..." She let out a wail and leaned against her bed, her arms crossed over it. She sobbed into her arms and Serena watched with sympathy. She walked over to her younger, less experienced sister and pulled her into a hug. Fabia grabbed her sister's garments and sniffed, burying her face in the white folds of fabric. They remained like that for quiet some time, until Fabia calmed down enough to talk.

She pulled away from the queen of Nethia, wiping her red, bloodshot eyes. "He meant everything to me! How can you ask me to move on?"

"Fabia, you've mourned long enough. Can you imagine the peril that Aranaut must be going through right now?" Fabia froze and looked at her sister.

"Aranaut..." Fabia closed her eyes, a few tears dripping down her cheeks. She wiped them away angrily and clenched her teeth. "I have to rescue him. It's my duty to Jin," she said finally. Serena smiled, then her face became clouded with worry.

"Fabia, you realize that it won't be you on the front lines of this rescue mission, correct?" Serena asked gently. Fabia looked at her older sister, then narrowed her eyes at her.

"What do you mean?"

"You will just be supervising. It is much too dangerous for you to go to Gundalia on your own and risk being captured," Serena explained, prepared for Fabia's anger.

"Do you expect me to just sit back and let someone else risk that?" Fabia lowered her voice, her voice laced with a threat. The temperature in the room appeared to drop ten degrees, but Serena didn't seem fazed.

"I'm sorry, Fabia, but you cannot risk your life," Serena reminded her.

"Why can't I? This is Aranaut! I have to save him myself! It's my duty to Jin!" Fabia shouted. Serena froze and narrowed her eyes at her sister.

"Fabia, you must put the needs of our people above your own sometimes," Serena said coldly, getting up and walking to the door.

"I am! Jin is one of our people!"

"He is no longer our subject. You need to acknowledge that it is a privilege to even be supervising this rescue. You should be thankful that we are even thinking about rescuing him at all," Serena snapped.

"I hate you!" Fabia screamed. Serena didn't acknowledge the exclamation. Instead, she walked over to the door and pressed the panel, enabling the door to rise and let her through.

"The rescue will take place tomorrow. Get some rest or you may be withdrawn," Serena said coldly. The door shut and Fabia screamed in frustration, picking up a pillow and flinging it at the wall. It landed on the floor with a dull thud. Fabia sobbed, feeling the tears burning again. She bit her lip, trying hard not to cry. Then, an eerie calm settled over her and she sighed, her anger, hatred, and sadness fleeing. She rested her head on her arms and slipped into sleep silently, the echoes of the battle taking place outside ringing in her ears.

Fabia awoke some hours later, unsure of what awoke her. Her body screamed in protest when she got to her feet. Her being in an awkward position for so long made her gasp in pain. She gritted her teeth and sighed, glancing outside. An occasional flash of light flared up, signaling that the battles were still going on. She sighed sadly, her eyes feeling gritty. She rubbed at them, then realized that she had to get Aranaut back.

Aranaut. Fabia closed her eyes, remembering the Haos Bakugan and the priceless link that he had had with Jin. They seemed perfect for each other. Both were ready to fight at a moments notice. Both were polite and kind to all who approached them, as long as they didn't harm others. They both didn't care about someones past as long as they made things right in the future. Fabia sighed, her thoughts straying to the battle outside.

The flashes of light were happening less frequently and Fabia felt a rush of cold terror. Were the Nethians loosing? She dove for the window, catching sight of Lumagrowl and Kazarina. "Battle gear Ability Activate," Kazarina shouted. Lumagrowl roared and let loose a huge burst of white light from his battler gear. Fabia's eyes widened and she lifted the window, climbing out onto the windowsill.

_This is my chance! I can get Aranaut back myself_, she thought, jumping from the windowsill. She did a flip and landed on her feet lightly, taking off silently toward Kazarina's ship. The huge Gunalian space ship was docked on the ground, much to Faiba's convenience. She bit her lip as she sprinted toward it, nervous about getting caught. She almost turned back twice, knowing that her sister would be very very angry with her after she found out about this. Fabia shook her head. _For Aranaut! And for Jin! I have to do this myself, or else it will feel like I haven't done my duty_, Fabia decided. _Not my duty as princess, but my duty as a fiance. I owe this to them._

By now she had reached the ship and was still having second thoughts. She quickly shook them off, trying hard not to back out while she still had the chance. She ducked inside the open doors of the ship and was instantly assaulted by paranoia. All around her was darkness. She quickly felt for the wall and walked along it until her eyes adjusted. Gray walls with few lamps made up the many hallways in the ship. It was simple and practical, and the metal was probably made of something sturdy, too, Fabia thought.

Her hands fell on open air and she stumbled in surprise. She regained her footing easily and peered around the corner, for what she had stumbled on was a doorway. Nothing moved, but it was hard to tell in the dim light. She gasped when she realized it was the guard room. It had extra uniforms for Gundalian guards! Fabia grinned and ducked into the room. It took her a while to find the right sized uniform, but soon she had it on and was ready to go.

Suddenly, Gundalian guards started filing in. Fabia gulped, standing upright stiffly, trying to look like she knew what she was doing. No one noticed her different colored skin tone or the fact that she wasn't doing anything in particular. Then, Fabia gasped as a flash of white shone through the doorway. She stared after the figure in shock, her mouth parting slightly. Her eyes were wide, but no one could see that through the red visor over her eyes. She shook in anger, clenching her jaw. "Kazarina," she hissed. She started forward, toward the white clad figure, but suddenly the door closed.

Fabia gasped, stumbling back. She realized the rest of the soldiers around her were milling around with a purpose, walking over to seats in the walls. She quickly grabbed the one nearest to her and strapped the belt around her waist, securing her to the seat. A few seconds later, the rest of the seats were taken, and there was only one empty seat. Fabia sighed in relief that she hadn't been caught yet, but she was still in deep water.

The ship lifted off the ground in an almost imperceptible movement, catching Fabia by surprise when they suddenly were jolted forward. She thought about who she was leaving behind and wondered, briefly, if she would ever be returning to her home. The first waves of fear now assaulted her, crashing down over her head and surrounding her in their sickly waters. She couldn't believe what she had done. Her mouth dropped open in shock at her own actions and she felt disbelief pooling her her stomach. How had she been so stupid? Jin wouldn't have wanted her to go putting herself into this risky position!

Anger at Jin's death overcame her, causing the turbulent waters of fear to suddenly evaporate, leaving her flames of anger licking at her pale lavender skin. It was Kazarina's fault. She killed him with Lumagrowl. And now Fabia called on that anger to help fuel her energy. It would lead her to Kazarina, to get Aranaut back. She knew that she would have to learn to battle with Aranaut before she could take on Kazarina and get revenge. She wasn't that stupid. But the anger was still there, and she vowed then, that she would get her former Fiance's Bakugan partner back if was the last thing she did.

After about a half hour of riding in the space ship, Fabia noticed a change in motion. They were slowing, and then descending slowly. She noticed the other guards undoing their belts and standing up. A few stretched, but all of them remained silent. Fabia fumbled with her belt and stood up, lining up with the rest of the soldiers, fitting into the center of the line and trying to remain stiff and straight. Nervousness swirled around her, but she waved it aside. They couldn't possibly figure out that she was a stowaway unless she did something to call attention to herself. And she hadn't done that.

The ship came to a gentle stop and then the doors opened. The guards stood there for a minute, then Kazarina walked through the hallway, smirking. Fabia clenched her fists, allowing her anger to fuel her. It would just wait a little longer.

Then the guards filed out. As they walked, stiffly, down the ramp of the space ship, Fabia faked a trip and pretended to fall off the ramp, ducking to the side of the ship in the process. She pulled off the helmet, looking around. Fabia blinked at the darkness of Gundalia. It took her eyes a moment to get used to such a darkness, and when she finally adapted, she realized that she was underground. She was completely surrounded by the earth.

Annoyed, Fabia sighed as she waited for the sounds of the guards' shuffling feet to die down. When it was silent, she stripped off the guard uniform, tucking it under the ship to ensure it's concealment. She couldn't be caught now. She had no hope of escape unless she got to Aranaut and was able to throw him down. If not, then she and all of Neathia would be toast.

She pressed her back against the outside wall of the ship, listening for the sound of any approaching enemy. Sensing no potential threats, she dove from her hiding spot into the hallway, sprinting through with ease.

Jin had had to go through rigorous training in order to reach his position as the Commander of the Castle Knights. Fabia had decided to participate as well, which was where she learned to throw people. She had known Aranaut and deemed him respectful, and she knew that he meant a lot to Jin before Kazarina killed him. She owed it to her would-be husband to save his former partner, the one whom he had trusted his life. The one who had stood by Jin in tough battlers, throughout the war between Neathia and Gundalia. The one who probably knew more about Jin than even Fabia.

It must have been hard for the Bakugan to know that his former master had died because of his inability to protect him. It must have been an extremely difficult burden to bear. Fabia could only imagine. She felt responsible for her fiance's death, but in her heart she knew it wasn't really her fault. She kept telling herself that if she had only stalled Jin for a moment longer, if she had only given him that extra hug, he would still be there with her. But Aranaut insisted that they fight for Neathia, and Fabia hadn't been able to argue with him. It was for the benefit of her kingdom. She couldn't abandon her kingdom for her own selfish desires.

And yet, if she had given into those desires, Jin might still be alive, but thousands of her people might have perished. Fabia found the warm droplets of water leaking out of her eyes with surprise. She hadn't realized the mere thought of Jin would bring her so much pain. It had been only a three days since his death. Fabia had been in complete shock when she heard that he had been killed, and Serena had appointed Elright to be the new commander. Fabia hadn't intervened. Elright was a capable leader. He could very easily lead the Castle Knights and do as well a job as Jin. But Fabia was still finding it hard to say goodbye.

"Fabia... Fabia you have to let go," a voice whispered. Fabia gasped, skidding to a halt. "No, no, keep going," the voice urged, and Fabia obeyed, confused. There was something about this voice, the familiarity of it, perhaps, or maybe the commanding air of it that compelled Fabia to listen. So she took off, sprinting once again down the corridor. "Left here," it whispered, so Fabia ducked around the corner.

"Who are you?" she panted softly.

"Don't tell me that you've forgotten my voice already, Fabia," the voice exclaimed with the hurt apparent in it. Fabia was confused. The voice was clearly male, that much she could tell, but it echoed around her ears so much that she found it nearly impossible to make out the voice itself. She pondered it for a moment, turning right when the voice commanded her to do so. Then, it whispered, "Aranaut's this way. I know you can do it, Fabia. You can do this!"

"Jin?" she whispered in absolute shock. Suddenly, there was a guard in front of her.

"Halt!" it cried in it's raspy Gundalian voice. Instead, Fabia called on her anger and composed herself, jumping up and knocking the guard to the ground, knocking him out cold in the process.

"Nice job, Hon," the voice praised her.

"Jin, is that really you?" Fabia asked softly, slowing. She stopped all together, feeling an incomprehensible wave of emotions flood her senses. Joy, elation, sadness, shock, anger, fear, all of her basic emotions were there. Plus a bunch more that she could not perceive for her shocked state.

"Yes, it's really me, Fabia," Jin said in his echoing voice. "But, Fabia, you need to let go. I can't pass on with you brooding oh me like this. Fabia, you're binding me here."

"But I don't want to let you go, Jin, my love," Fabia whispered, expecting to feel her tears stinging her eyes again. But they didn't. Her eyes were done crying and all of her tears had dried up. A semi-see-through form appeared before her, slightly taller than she and but not wearing his usual Castle Knight uniform. Fabia stared at him with wide eyes, wanting to throw herself into his arms and have him stroke her hair and tell her that it would all be alright. "I don't want to say goodbye. I... we were going to get married! We had only a few days! Oh Jin, we would have been together forever!"

"Oh Fabia," he murmured sadly, walking toward her. She stepped toward him, the tears she thought had dried up pricking her eyes once more. She stepped into his form, his arms and chest lightly caressing her skin like a gentle, cool breeze. Her skin tingled and she shivered slightly, unable to feel the warmth of his embrace any longer. The thought that he was here but could not even show his feelings made the wound she had carefully sealed up open up again, allowing her sadness to have free reign. She sobbed, trying to hug him but her arms passing ineffectively through him.

She wanted to wail, to cry out in agony but something stopped her. Her vocal cords were stretched tight, preventing her from uttering a sound other than her short, distraught whimpers. "Jin.. why did you leave me?" she whispered.

"I didn't want to, Fabia," he replied softly, wishing he could make her hurt go away. He wanted nothing more than to spend his entire life with her. He had only met her a few years ago, and he had only proposed to her a year ago. Their wedding had been scheduled for three days after his death. That was today. That realization brought him more pain than he ever thought possible to experience. Today was the day that he was going to marry his fiance. He was going to begin his life with her. The two of them would have a happy life, and have children and rule over Neathia together. They were going to have a happy ending. All of that had been ripped from his hands and dangled in front of his face.

Before, Jin hadn't thought it was possible to feel pain after you died. But now he knew that he was horribly mistaken. This pain was like nothing he had ever experienced when he was alive. He had never known any torture that brought about a pain like this. He found it hard to believe the extent of the agony he was forced to endure at this moment. He wanted it to end. And the only way it could end was if he eased Fabia's suffering.

He pulled away from his one and only true love and she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with the tears that had yet to pour from her beautiful green eyes. Both she and Jin reached for each others hands at the same time, each traveling through the other. They tried again and Fabia let out a choked sob when she realized she would never feel his touch completely ever again. He made a "Shhh..." noise and brought his hand up to her cheek, smiling sadly while his own tears sparkled in his eyes.

"Fabia... I need you let me go now. Please," he whispered, half wanting her to keep him there, to have him grounded by her side. But he knew that if she didn't let him go, she would never be the same again. He had to let her let him go. He had to _make_ her let him go. The thought of it made his heart feel like it had been ripped form his chest and impaled with a stake, but he knew that it was for the best.

"No..." she whimpered, falling to her knees. "No... I don't want to let you go... Jin, how can you ask that of me?"

"Fabia... I love you." The hardest words he ever had to say were on the tip of his tongue, and, staring into her eyes, he knew that he had to say them. Jin knelt down in front of Fabia, placing his hand on her cheek once again. He took a deep breath, his tears spilling over his eyelids, and somehow managed to continue to smile genuinely as he spoke the words that tore him apart inside. "I love you with every fiber of my being. I loved you when I first met you. I love you to the end of the universe. I will love you until the end of time. The humans have a saying that goes something like this. "If I could be any part of you, I'd be your tears. To be conceived in your heart, born in your eyes, live on your cheeks, and die on your lips." Fabia, I promise you I won't ever leave you. I'll watch over you forever and ever. I promise. Fabia, you're my true love. The reason why I got up in the morning every day to face the job of a Castle Knight that I know might rip me away from you at any moment was so that I could leave my room and walk to yours to see your smiling face. Fabia, I want you to smile again. And you will only be able to do that if you let go of me."

"Jin..." she whispered. They remained like that for a few minutes and then Fabia sniffed, wiping her eyes. She looked up at Jin with a wobbly smile and blinked, a stray tear spilling over. Jin quickly moved his finger to wipe it away, but found that he was unable to even smudge it in the slightest. Fabia recognize the gesture and smiled, this time with a wistful gleam in her eyes. "Alright," she rasped. She leaned forward, her arms somehow managing to remain on Jin's shoulders and the two managed to actually, really hug each other. It was the best hug that Jin had ever gotten from her and he smiled, his tears falling rapidly. They didn't want to pull away, but then Jin's form began to disintegrate. Fabia pulled back, then gently pressed her lips against his.

His eyes widened in surprise, then found her eyes, which were shining with her sadness and pain, but also with acceptance and a new strength. He wanted to smile. He wanted to say thank you. But when he finally found that he couldn't remain there anymore, what he whispered instead was, "I love you."

"Me too, Jin," Fabia said back. "I love you too. And when we meet again... we'll finally get married." Jin smiled, then his form shattered, condensing into a million sparkles that swirled around Fabia, then disappeared into the air. Fabia pressed her hand to her heart, smiling despite the tears that fell down her face. She remained like that for a while, then moved to wipe her eyes. She was jolted awake then, driven with a sense of purpose. The wet green orbs that were her eyes shot open and she got to her feet. She clenched her fists.

"Jin, for you..." she murmured, taking off toward Kazarina's lab. "I'll get him back! I promise!"

A guard was less than 50 feet from her so she slowed down, finding herself too weak to run for long. She silently crept behind him, then dared herself to tap him on the shoulder. He turned in surprise, his mouth dropping open when he saw the Neathian princess standing in front of him.

Fabia didn't give him a chance to get over his shock, instead executing a move that she had seen Jin do a thousand times but she herself never being able to land. The guard was face down on the floor in an instant, his staff clattering to the ground a few feet away. Fabia snatched it up, twirling it in her fingers and then stabbing a section of the wall with it, causing all of the lights in the hallway to blink out one by one, encasing her in darkness.

Without a second thought, she dropped the staff, taking off in the direction she knew in her heart would take her to Kazarina... and to Aranaut. Within seconds she had reached the door to the lab and silently slipped through, discovering Kazarina on the far side looking around with Malevolent eyes. Fabia darted along the edge of the wall when she turned her back, gritting her teeth and trying her hardest to not be seen. This was where it mattered.

But she had been seen, for Kazarina whirled around, shouting, "I see you!". A bolt of yellow lighting shot from her finger tips, slamming into Fabia's chest. She gasped in pain, falling to the ground.

The lights flicked on again, revealing Fabia's identity. When Kazarina realized who it was she had caught, she chuckled maniacally. "Well well well, if it isn't the mousy little princess from Neathia," she drawled as Fabia pushed herself up on her hands and knees, feeling shaky and week. _Oh Jin, what now?_ she thought. It was as if that electric blast had syphened the rest of her energy from her body. She didn't have the strength to stand up and fight. And yet, no fear penetrated her and she felt a sort of warmth caress her skin, recognizing it as Jin's prescence. She didn't let it show as Kazarina stopped in front of her, cupping her chin in her hand.

"It takes a lot of nerve to come here alone. Too bad you won't live long enough to tell anyone about it," Kazarina laughed. Fabia glared at her.

"I may have come here alone," she said defiantly, raising her hand. "But we are leaving together!" Secured between her middle finger and her pointer was a Haos Bakugan. Haos Aranaut.

"Good job, Fabia!" Jin's voice filtered through her mind one last time, and Fabia pulled forth the last ounce of strength her body had left to offer. Jin's arm and her own were one as it was raised above her head.

"Bakugan, brawl!" she shouted with Jin, shooting Aranaut between herself and Kazarina, who was shocked to say the least. An intense ray of light built up from Aranaut's Bakugan ball as he grew from it, reaching down and scooping up Fabia as she collapsed in exhaustion.

"Thank you, Fabia," he said in his deep voice, jumping up into the air. Fabia was lying on her back in the palm of his hand, and now she smiled.

"Thank you, Jin," she whispered, and then darkness closed in on her. The first real sleep that she had gotten since Jin's death finally came to her, descending upon her like gentle snow flakes. She knew that the next day would hold long arguments with her sister, but she could endure it. Just so long as she had Jin by her side.

"**I was crying as I wrote that," Breezyfeather exclaims. Fabia is out cold on the couch while Ren is sleeping on the floor. Breezyfeather looks around and smiles.**

**I am so so sorry about not updating! I had so much school work, and then I started another fanfiction, and then I just forgot about all together. I started again finally and I really want to finish this. I had no idea what to do with this chapter, and then I started thinking about how upset Fabia must be, so I wove that in. I cried as I wrote that, really I did, and it's like, 10:30 at night so I'm gonna post it and go to bed. I just had to finish it. **

**Review please to tell me what you thought. I really wanna know your opinions!**


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